International Journal of Business, Accounting and Management ISSN : 2527-3531 | Volume 3, Issue 2 (April) 2018 www.doarj.org EFFECT OF ECOPRENEURSHIP ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN AFRICA EVIDENCE FROM NIGERIA Ernest Jebolise Chukwuka Ph.D., MNIM, CIIN 1 Department of Business Administration,Michael and Cecilia Ibru University Agbarha-Otor, Delta state Email correspondence: [email protected] Abstract : This study presents an empirical investigation of the effect of Ecopreneurship on organizational performance of selected manufacturing firms in Nigeria. This study was motivated by the need to solve the environmental problems caused by the activities of profit driven entrepreneurs as well as exploring the benefits to organizations. The study was guided by two key objectives, from which appropriate research questions and hypotheses were formulated. The specific objectives of this study were: (i) ascertain the extent to which ecological sustainability practices affect the profitability of selected manufacturing firms in Nigeria (ii) establish the degree to which eco-innovation affects market share of selected manufacturing firms in Nigeria. This study adopted the survey design. Simple random sampling technique was used in selecting the 10 manufacturing firms in Nigeria based on the rich ecopreneurship profiles and mode of operations of the manufacturing firms in Nigeria. A sample size of 543 respondents was determined from the population of 5705 drawn from management, middle and lower cadre of the selected manufacturing firms using Cochran (1977) statistical formula. A stratified sampling technique was also used to determine the proportional allocation of questionnaire to management cadre, middle cadre and lower cadre. Designed questionnaire and personal interview were used for primary data collection. The questionnaire was structured on 5-point Likert scale. The validity of the instrument was ascertained using content validity. The instrument was checked for Reliability using test re-test method through Cronbach alpha with a value of 0.90, which shows consistency in the items of survey. Data were analyzed and the hypotheses were tested using linear regression analysis. Probability level of significance was given at 5%. Data were presented using simple percentage. Findings revealed that Ecological sustainability had a positive and significant effect on the profitability of the selected manufacturing firms in Nigeria. Eco-innovation had a positive effect on the market share of selected manufacturing firms of south-south, Nigeria. In conclusion, the implementation of ecopreneurship practices, principles and processes will lead to very positive outcome that will be visibly manifested in the organization and the environment. The recommendations were ecopreneurship courses should be incorporated into the current entrepreneurship education curriculum. Governments should give incentives, subsidies to ecopreneurship firms by way of tax waivers and policy support. Keywords: ecopreneurship, Eco-innovation, Ecological sustainability, Profitability, Market share, Performance, Manufacturing firms. INTRODUCTION Ecopreneurship is an amalgamation of two words, ecological (eco) and entrepreneurship which refers to entrepreneurship through an environmental lens (Schaltegger 2005). Ecopreneurship also refers to a process by which entrepreneurs introduce eco-friendly or relatively more eco-friendly products and process into the market place (Pastakia, 1998). Ecopreneurship is characterized by some fundamental aspects of entrepreneurial activities that are oriented less towards technical procedures or management systems and focused more on the personal initiative and skills of the entrepreneurial person or team to release market success with environmental innovations (Pinchat, 1988). This wide definition of ecopreneurship takes entrepreneurs as an important subgroup of ecopreneurship into account, as entrepreneurs represent actors inside an organization who substantially change and shape the environmental and business growth development of an existing company (Pastakia, 2002). Companies and 34 www.doarj.org Effect Of Ecopreneurship On Organizational Performance Of Selected Manufacturing Firms In Africa Evidence From Nigeria actors making environmental progress in their core business may be called ecopreneurs (Schaltegger, 2002). They generate new organisational modes, techniques, services and products that substantially reduce environmental impacts and increase the quality of life (Schaltegger, 2002). Schumpeter (1934) cited in Schaltegger (2002) referred to such entrepreneurial activities as ‘Creative destruction’. “Ecopreneurs destroy existing conventional production methods, products, market structures and consumption patterns and replace them with superior environmental services and products. They prompt the creation of market dynamics of environmental progress” Schumpeter (1934). Market systems have adversely affected the environment by failing to deal with negative environmental externalities and undervaluing natural resources, leading to their overexploitation and depletion. Governments have sought to address the problem through a mix of command and control and market-based instruments, with bounded success. One of the strongest alternatives for dealing with such market failures is ecopreneurship (Pastakia 2002). Schaltegger (2002), also states that for a company to have a positive environmental influence, it must make a substantial and real contribution to environmental progress. A real improvement can be created only if the production process, services and products are superior environmentally. Ecopreneurs operate companies that meet up both requirements ideally; ecopreneurship pulls the whole market towards an environmental progress. Ecopreneurship has to do with carrying out activities that keep the environment clean as well as meeting the business objective (Schaper, 2002). The opportunities of ecopreneurship include developing a market and creating an environment for such products. The problems include financial barriers such as costs and complex regulations and policies acting as hindrance in the growth opportunity. The biggest problem for ecopreneurs is customer value creation through innovative products and cost control along with this consumer education on environment cleanliness (Schaltegger, 2005). The relationship between business and the environment is not new. There was an upsurge of interest in environmental degradation during the 1960s in North America and Western Europe because of the incidents of heavy smog in London caused by business activities. At that time people became more aware of the negative environmental consequences of business activities. The business responds to the environmental concerns was antagonistic, with little care about the cost of business activities to the environment (Utting, 2000) cited in McEwen (2013). They saw the environmental concerns as a nuisance to their businesses and opposed any effort to control performance (Tillery, 1999). However, McEwen (2013) maintains that ecopreneurship has undergone evolutional stages in history; from 1960 to 1970; there was a publication of Pioneering Article in Harvard Business Review suggesting the ecology movement could provide new markets for business (Quinn, 1971). There was also an increase of interest in Environmental Degradation and greater awareness of the Native Environmental impact of business activities. This stage also reveals the passage of environment-related legislation e.g. Clear Air Act etc. From 1980 to 1990, this stage experienced publication of articles arguing that innovative business solutions provide a basis for new business prospects and improve the environment (Elkington and Burke, 1998). From 1990 to 2000, this stage witnessed an introduction of terms such as environmental entrepreneur, green entrepreneur, eco-entrepreneur, ecopreneur (Benneth, 1991; Berlie, 1991; Blue, 1990). This stage witnessed a major focus by scholars on environmentally friendly innovations and stressing the profit potential of ecopreneurship (Isaac, 1998: Kyro 2001: Larson, 2000: Schaltegger and Wagner, 2011). There was also publication of special issues in the journal of organizational change management and Greener management International (Krueger, 1998; Schaper, 2002; Tillery and Parrish, 2009). There was incorporation of environmental and sustainability issues into some entrepreneurship texts (Kao, 2002; Kuratko and Hodgets, 200I). Schaper (2002) suggests the Integration of courses into the entrepreneurship curriculum and ecopreneurship units. This stage also witnessed the appointment of Endowed chair in sustainability Entrepreneurship in one European University (WRI, 2001 cited in Ndedi, 2011). There was also in this stage an introduction of micro- finance and other funding programs to provide start up and growth capital for green businesses as well as introduction of business incubators and advisory services to encourage ecoventures and sustainability entrepreneur (Ndedi, 2011; Schaper 2010). Speth (2004) co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), founder of the world Resource Institute (WRI), and now the Dean of the school of forestry and environmental studies at Yale University identified the most serious threats to the environment in his book “Red Sky At Morning–America And The Global Crisis of Environment.” Speth (2004) posits that the significance of concepts like ecopreneurship is necessary